


Idle Hands

by coffeeandlibraries



Category: The Great Library Series - Rachel Caine
Genre: Abuse of Authority, Bad Decisions, Corruption, Dubious Consent, M/M, Manipulation, Power Imbalance, Shameless Smut, kitten play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:59:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22632367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeeandlibraries/pseuds/coffeeandlibraries
Summary: Captain Santi is in need of distraction and Jess makes a deal with a different kind of devil.Warning for a manipulative!Santi and dubious consent. Also FYI: this is going to be pointless smut.
Relationships: Jess Brightwell/Niccolo Santi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Idle Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Set during Paper and Fire.
> 
> I wrote this out of nowhere during Nanowrimo when I was desperate to catch up on my word count - characterisation is iffy, morals are dubious and plot is non existent, but if was fun to write so it might be fun to read.
> 
> Also I was worried if I didn't post soon Maz would lynch me....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jess wants to see Wolfe. Captain Santi has conditions. They strike a bargain, of sorts.

_“You’ve locked me up Nic! You know I don’t take well to that.”_

Santi frowned and shook off the memory of the accusation, tapping his pen against the paper in agitation. He would do whatever it took to protect his beloved but Chris was resisting him at every turn. He didn’t know how to make him understand that it wasn’t safe! The Artifex was looking for any excuse, any tiny excuse to be rid of him. The only option had been to disconnect from all his former students and keep the scholar out of sight.

This had been accepted by their previous charges quite easily and Santi was grateful for that. Well, almost all their previous charges.

Jess Brightwell being the notable exception.

_As usual_, he inwardly grumbled.

Nic sighed and let the pen fall from his hand reaching up to rub a hand over his face to soothe the irritating tension headache he could feel just below the surface. He was done, his focus was completely shot today. He was tired and cranky and Chris had even banished him to the couch the night before, leaving him in even more of a shitty mood.

His lieutenant, thank God for Zara, had read his mood within minutes that morning and had diverted the majority of his headaches for the rest of the day, after he’d delivered a dressing down that made one of his sergeants cry.

Nic winced at the memory, he had to get a grip of himself, he was a soldier and he wasn’t being fair to the soldiers under his command, making them walk on eggshells around him.

_I need a distraction_, he thought, _desperately_.

Heron had heard his prayers apparently because a few minutes later that distraction appeared in the form of a barrage of knocks on the door. Nic sat up and frowned, the knock sounded urgent enough that had it been one of his soldiers they would have knocked once for courtesy’s sake and strode right in to deliver their report but the person on the other side of the door made no such moves. He gave it a minute and the knock came again, harder, more agitation in it.

Either it wasn’t a soldier or it was a brand new recruit. Santi smirked, fine, Zara wouldn’t appreciate the clean up but he was in the mood for blood anyway.

“Enter,” he called in a booming voice and felt his eyebrows rise as Jess Brightwell’s slender form slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. The sound of the lock turning, made those eyebrows rise even more. That was a rather dramatic and impudent assumption on Brightwell's part. He’d have to make sure Glain trained that out of him of Jess hoped to survive High Garda training. The other captains would not take well to that level of entitlement.

But Santi was in need of a distraction so he would indulge the brat’s whims, just this once.

After securing the lock, Jess wasted no time in striding to Santi’s desk and stated,

“I need to see Wolfe.”

No hello, no sir at the end and all Santi’s’ initial goodwill vanished in an instant. How dare this brat of all people, stride in here and demand to see his lover? Especially when he knew, when Santi had gripped his shoulder and stared him down when he said, “You are not to contact Wolfe. That is an order and my final decision on the matter.”

Nic felt a heat stir beneath his skin. _Someone needs to put this boy in his place._

“Sir,” he corrected irritably and the boy paused, his face blank but a clear mental battle going on in his mind as to whether there was a point in arguing with that petty correction.

Santi wouldn’t blame him. He was clearly in distress and Nic could admit he _was_ being petty. Still there were standards to uphold and he had earned this respect. He gave the recruit a cool look and waited.

Jess’s eyes burned into his for a moment before he conceded and slid his gaze to the floor.

“Please let me see Wolfe sir,” he asked this time and Santi was satisfied.

“We’ve been through this Brightwell, it’s not safe for Wolfe to be out in the open at the moment and conversing with you will definitely bring him out in the open.”

“I _need_ to ask him something," Jess persisted and Nic rolled his eyes in irritation.

“Let it go, Jess. That’s an order” he said firmly and registered the tiniest tremble in his subordinate’s shoulders.

"Isn’t there anything I can do?" he asked, and Nic caught another slip, a faint desperation in his tone.

He mulled over those words and tiled his head to consider Jess. He wouldn’t risk arranging a meeting for anything that might have Christ tearing off on his own again but the way these two gravitated towards each other, it would only be a matter of time before Chris heard he'd been sought out again. He turned that thought over in his mind. If he could control the setup of that meeting, he be able to placate both Jess and Chris at the same time.

And you his inner voice reminded him.

He stood up and made his way around the desk to stand in front of the boy. He placed his hands on his shoulders and said, "Look at me."

Jess head rose with only a slight hesitation but Nic noted it.

_I'll have to fix that._

“I can’t let you involve him in any other right schemes now Jess," he said squeezing his shoulders lightly, and then added as a compromise “but I will let you see him,”

Jess blinked in surprise and Nic could practically see the cogs whirring in the boy’s head.

“Thank you sir,” he replied, wetting his dry lips and unintentionally draw Nic’s gaze to them, “I’d like to see that he’s okay.”

Nic nodded as if he believed him. Jess Brightwell was an excellent liar, in part because his lies were always somewhat true. He preferred to omit information rather that lie outright but Niccolo Santi had spent years hunting down that kind of liar for the library.

“I know,” he said, “But you should know that this is a risk for everyone involved so I’ll need something in return. Everything has a price as you're aware”

Bitterness flashed across Jess face for half a moment before it melted into a neutral expression.

“Of course sir, if I can help,” he agreed and then added, “My family is off limits.”

Santi chuckled.

“Don’t worry, I would never ask that of you,” he said, “It’s a more personal request.”

“Personal?” Jess asked and this time he let the confusion show.

“Yes,” he said, raising a hand to stroke through the boy’s hair, “You want to see Scholar Wolfe to put yourself at ease? Well I’d like to ensure your visit does the same for him.”

Jess was silent for a few minutes and Santi didn’t push for a response, instead he continued to run his hand through the boy’s hair, as if he had the right to it.

“What would you have me do?” he asked eventually and pushed into the captain’s hand to emphasise his consent. Santi smiled. Good, he had an inkling of what he was getting himself into.

_Although, it was only an inkling,_ he thought darkly, as his mind whirred with ideas. He would ensure his lover was well satisfied at the end of their meeting and that Jess didn’t get a chance to drop whatever Pandora ’s Box he’d unearthed into Chris’ lap.

“Just relax,” he murmured, “And I’ll guide you through it.”

He smoothed a thumb across the boy’s lips and watched them part with a sense of satisfaction.

“That’s it Jess,” he cooed as the boy took his thumb past his lips and began to suck, “Show me what you can do boy, and we’ll train you up from there.”

Jess gave a shudder at those words and sucked harder for a moment before playing his tongue over the digit in short teasing little flicks. Like a kitten Santi thought and brought a hand to the boy’s throat and brushed his knuckles down the smooth column, as he considered that thought.

That throat would look gorgeous with a collar. Maybe something dark and striking like black leather to contrast his pale skin? He let his imagination wander down that rabbit hole. Maybe something soft like a satin ribbon? Much more fitting for a sweet kitten. Or silk to match his scholar’s robes? Chris would appreciate the little detail.

With a bell he decided, to alert his owners to any attempts at mischief. Or maybe he’d wrap that ribbon around Jess's cock, tie it tight around the hilt to keep him from spilling too soon and present him as a gift for Chris to unwrap. Keep the bell on it too and hear the sweet tinkling sound as his kitten's cock twitched up and down or as Jess raised his hips to spear himself down onto Chris’s length.

_Yes, _he thought,_ you'll make a lovely gift._

He came back from his musings and looked down to see that Jess had stopped sucking and was eyeing him curiously. He still kept his lips wrapped around Santi’s thumb to keep it in place and the captain scratched his head gently with his other hand as a reward.

He watched those eyes flicker, glazing over in enjoyment but never quite closing completely. Well, that was to be expected. Jess was a wary creature by nature but he would train him into more pleasing habits.

For himself and for Christopher.


End file.
